Shooting recalls 1998 case

Sunday's police shooting of a man in the Cherry Tree Crossing housing project resembles an incident 10 years ago that also drew outrage in a predominantly black neighborhood.

Alfaigo Davis was shot and killed by two Richmond County sheriff's deputies on Feb. 21, 1998, when, the officers said, he tried to run over them after being chased for fleeing a traffic stop.

Mr. Davis was shot by Deputies Nicholas Capobianco and Gary Clark Jr. after he'd been cornered in a cul-de-sac in the Apple Valley community, according to their statements to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Mr. Davis was shot 10 times: once to the back of the head; four times to the back; once to the left hip; twice to the chest; once to the left arm; and once to the right arm.

In that incident and in Sunday's shooting, the two men shot had previous brushes with the law. Mr. Davis, 29, was on probation for a felony conviction for possession of cocaine and had three outstanding warrants on charges of making harassing phone calls, criminal trespass and failure to appear in court on eluding police, which he tried to do on two occasions before the shooting incident.

Sheriff Strength said Justin Leonard Elmore, the man shot Sunday, has an extensive criminal background. According to Richmond County Superior Court records, Mr. Elmore, 23, is on probation for drug convictions and has a drug case pending.

Mr. Elmore's most recent arrest was Aug. 24, when he was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to resell and misdemeanor possession of marijuana. Court records show he is free on bond in that case.

Mr. Elmore has been on probation since October 2006, when he pleaded guilty to two drug convictions. His first arrest was in December 2005; the second occurred in August 2006. Judge J. Carlisle Overstreet sentenced Mr. Elmore on both of those cases to five years' probation.

After Mr. Elmore's most recent arrest, his probation officer asked the judge to find him in violation of his probation. That petition was dismissed Oct. 29.

Both shooting incidents, as per department procedure, were turned over to the GBI. Four months after the Davis shooting, a grand jury chose not to indict the two deputies on criminal charges. A year later, a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into whether the deputies violated Mr. Davis' civil rights cleared the men of any wrongdoing.

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Keep them in jail for their origional crimes and they wouldn't be out endangering the lives of our deputies resulting in their untimely deaths because of their own actions. These officers are placed in these situations by thugs who are repeat offenders who have no respect for the law or the communities they live in. While that may be understandable it certainly isn't understandable why some citizens within the community react they way they do unless they just like supporting repeat offenders who are thugs selling drugs in their communities to their children. Where is the OUTRAGE that these street thugs tried to run over our deputies so they could keep selling deadly drugs to kids in these communities?

Could it be that it's a majority of African-American males who are running from law enforcement instead of surrendering and facing the consequences, justus4. The failure is, not teaching young African-American boys to stay away from drugs, get an education, be responsible for your own actions, and make something out of your life. Instead they see, daddy, brother, and uncle, making a lot of money by selling drugs and weapons, riding around doing nothing all day and they have the misconception that this is easy living. When that cycle is broken then maybe we'll see less African-American males being shot.

Oh goodness. I see the pattern too. Do bad and stupid things--there's a chance you'll get shot in the face by the police. Thanks for making it clearer to me. The truth is out there. Let's ignore it and be stereotypically stupid and racist instead. Where's my rock?

justus...maybe the reason that AA males are getting shot & not white boys is because white boys are not trying to run over cops. If fact tell me of incident where a white boy tried to run over cops? If they did,,they would get shot. That excuse is real old & tired..because I'm black..the world hates me! The worlds hates you because your no good & you think everything bad in your life was caused by a white man.... Right? The truth is you are you own worst emeny!

As usual, Justus4 is looking to play the race card. In both cases, these men were black. In both cases they ran from the law. In both cases they tried to use their vehicles (stolen or otherwise) as weapons against the law. In both cases they were shot while using a deadly weapon against the law. That is what "targets" them Justus4. Instead of preaching about how the black man is being targeted by the white man (let's remember that one police officer in this case was Hispanic, the other Black), why not take all of your racially motivated energy and teach the black youth to do more with their lives than deal drugs, steal and disrespect authority. Guidance is needed in the early years, become a Mentor and do something about it for today's youth. If you don't, then all you're good for is lip service.

The status of Mr. Elmore health, is going to determine the show down on the streets in sunset. I think them cops were wrong as two left shoes to shoot this man. To use there weapons because this guy was trying to get away and the possibility of killing a child in that project, send chills down my back. Did Mr. Elmore kill anyone,rob anyone,rape anyone, any of Georgias deadly sins? NO he did noe. Why not waited until he was away from that project and then try to stop him. Them two clowns who shot this man needs to be working parking meters, not patroling are protecting anybody. Pick me for the jury so i can reward his kids and family with a few millions and then we will be even. That powder keg is going to explode over there. Pray that he dont die.

to all you racist.. no whites are being arrested for cooking meth around there childern and your childern are taking drugs out of your medicine cabinet, your pills because you can't coop, molesting your childern and beating on your wives and getting away with it.. you want to throw rocks, it is easy for someone to run there mouth. know what you are talking about, educate yourself before u speak of things you no nothing about. Being shoot in the head is not funny, being shoot just because is not funny. this young man had a mother and she has to bury her child. don't let something like this knock on your door and you will not have nothing to laugh about or make stupid comments about that......DUMMIES